


a regard for human frailty

by pinktrixie



Category: RWBY
Genre: (but it's very minor), F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 09:39:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16553363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinktrixie/pseuds/pinktrixie
Summary: Blake Belladonna is getting married in a week. But with the appearance of a striking blonde reporter named Yang Xiao Long to cover the wedding along with her childhood sweetheart, Ilia Amitola, Blake may not find herself walking down the aisle after all.-or-The Philadelphia Story AU





	a regard for human frailty

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: i do not own RWBY or the Philadelphia Story 
> 
> title and chapter title come from the Philadelphia Story

**ch i. an unholy mess of a girl** **_  
  
_ **

**_Senator Belladonna’s Runaway Daughter Resurfaces with New Beau_ **

 

_ Nearly three years ago, Blake Belladonna, now 26, disappeared before her wedding to longtime girlfriend and childhood sweetheart, Ilia Amitola. The two, who had been together since they attended boarding school together, were meant to be wed at Belladonna’s family home on Menagerie. However, Belladonna, 23 at the time, left her fiancée at the altar.  _

 

_ At the time, it was unknown where Blake Belladonna had gone, but she was discovered by this very newspaper to be spending significant amounts of time with terrorist and gang leader, Adam Taurus. The exact nature of their relationship remains unknown. The Belladonna family has no comment at this time. Taurus was arrested at the beginning of the year, 3 months ago.  _

 

_ Special Agent Qrow Branwen led the raid that led to Taurus’ capture. When asked about Belladonna and Taurus’ relationship, his response was “No comment”. Taurus will stand trial in the fall.  _

 

_ Following Taurus’ arrest, the youngest member of the Belladonna family was seen at her family home. Belladonna grew up on Menagerie where her father, Senator Ghira Belladonna has served as a community leader for many years. _

 

_ Most interesting of Belladonna’s return to Menagerie was her travelling companion, a one Sun Wukong. It would appear that the two love birds have travelled to the tropical island for a visit with the Belladonna family.  _

 

_ Could there be wedding bells in the future?  _

 

_ Coco Adel, Writer _

_ Velvet Scarlatina, Photographer _

 

xx

 

Yang woke with a start, explosions still bursting behind her eyes. Her ears rang with the explosions and the smell of blood permeated her senses. Her breath came in short gasps. She tried to move the heavy sheets off of her body with her right arm. But then she blinked slowly, her breath finally slowing down. 

 

The nightmare faded away and she crashed down to reality. 

 

She was safe. She was home. 

 

She didn’t have her right arm anymore. 

 

She was safe. She was home. She wasn’t in danger. 

 

She closed her eyes. She could faintly hear her sister’s snores down the hall. Yang tried to time her breathing with Ruby’s, but her heart was still beating too fast. 

 

With a long suffering sigh, Yang threw her legs over the edge of the bed, wincing as her feet touched the cold floor. The cool evening air nipped at her sweaty skin. Her tank top stuck uncomfortably to her back as she stood up. 

 

She made her way over to her window, staring out across the sprawling city. It made her feel small and insignificant. Yang turned away, her chest aching. She flexed the fingers on her left hand as a phantom pain arched along her right side. 

 

Her body was too wired now to go back to sleep so Yang gathered up her workout gear and made her way down to the basement gym. She had managed 5 hours of sleep which was better than nothing. It was almost 5 in the morning, so if she just worked out for two hours, then Ruby would be up and Yang wouldn’t be alone anymore. 

 

Yang flicked on the TV and started running. Her mind eventually mellowed out and her senses were no longer bombarded as she ran. 

 

An hour later, her phone buzzed.  Yang scooped it up and opened it. 

 

_ Raven [6:02]: Meet me at the diner down the street from your apartment, 30 minutes. R  _

 

Yang rolled her eyes, hopping off the treadmill with ease. 

 

“Of course,  _ Mom _ , let me just drop everything so you can be passive aggressive. Sounds like a blast,” she muttered to herself. 

 

_ Yang [6:03]: Fine, see you then _

 

30 minutes later, Yang found herself sitting across a table from her birth mother who looked unimpressed with Yang as always. 

 

Raven Branwen had worked as an undercover agent for much of Yang’s life, leaving Yang to be raised by her father. Raven had only shown up when Yang was in her second year of college, and even then, she barely had time for her only child. Yang’s Uncle Qrow had warned Yang that Raven lacked a certain maternal touch, hence why she had left Yang with her father. 

 

Years of undercover work had left Raven incredibly suspicious and mistrustful, although Yang’s father always claimed that she was always like that. Raven was fond of randomly messaging Yang and demanding she meet her in order for Raven to complain about Yang’s most recent screw up. 

 

Raven had helped Yang out once with a story, but after that, Raven claimed that she had fulfilled her end of the bargain. Said bargain being Yang’s birth mother, but at that point, Yang was too tired to argue with Raven’s twisted logic. 

 

“You’re late. And sloppy looking.” 

 

“Hi Mom, so lovely to see you. Yeah, I’ve been busy. How about you? You look well.” Yang fought the urge to roll her eyes. If Raven was going to demand to see her at 6:30 in the morning, then she could deal with Yang in a college sweatshirt. 

 

“Don’t be sarcastic.” Raven’s tone was clipped as always. She truly did not have a maternal bone in her body. “I want to speak to you about your newest assignment.” 

 

“I haven't got one,” said Yang, her gaze dropping to the paper napkin in her lap. “Not since, you know…” 

 

“You got in a bar fight.” 

 

“At least I won.” 

 

“Yes, getting demoted at work and having to do community service is the exact definition of winning a fight.” Raven waved at the lone waitress in the diner. “Oatmeal.” 

 

“Do you want anything with that? Sugar, honey, berries?” 

 

“Just oatmeal.” 

 

“Right. And you?” The waitress turned to Yang, smiling suggestively at her. 

 

Yang returned the smile and purely out of spite said, “I’ll take the chocolate pancakes please, extra sugar, please and thank you, cutie.” She finished her order with a wink. 

 

The waitress blushed a bit. “I’ll get that right out.” 

 

“Thanks, cutie.” Yang flashed her trademark, blinding grin at the waitress, who turned an even deeper shade of red. 

 

Raven, naturally, was unimpressed. “Are you done yet?” 

 

“Hm?” Yang shifted her focus back to her mother. “Oh, yeah, sure, you were saying something about an assignment that I don’t actually have.” 

 

Raven rolled her eyes and Yang hated how much she looked like her. “Cinder is going to send you and your sister to Menagerie to cover the wedding of some socialite.” Yang started to protest, but Raven simply continued, “In order to get you and Summer’s girl in,” Yang let out a noise of irritation at the mention of Ruby, “She’s blackmailing the middle Schee girl. If that were to, per say, get out, it would end her career, and her bosses too.” 

 

“You want me to leak that Cinder’s blackmailing somebody? How sure are you about this?” 

 

“Have I ever steered you wrong before?” Raven’s mouth twisted up in a  dark imitation of Yang’s sunny smile. “Just wait and see. If I’m wrong, you won’t need to do anything, but if I’m right, I’m sure your father’s heroic streak will kick in,” Raven let out a scoffing noise, “and you’ll want to help the Schnee girl.” 

 

“Don’t talk about my father like that.” Yang’s fist curled under the table, the paper napkin teared beneath her fingers. 

 

“I’m not wrong, Yang.” 

 

“Fine, I’ll look into it.” 

 

“How’s your arm?” 

 

“All left, I suppose.” Yang chuckled under her breath while Raven let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, come on that was funny.” 

 

“You certainly inherited your father’s sense of humor.” Yang narrowed her eyes in annoyance. “I have places to be. I look forward to reading your article soon.” 

 

“Wait, what about…?” 

 

But Raven was already gone.

 

“Where’d she go?” The waitress had returned. 

 

Yang shrugged one shoulder. “Who knows. Hey, do you think you could make that a double order of pancakes to go? Extra chocolate?” 

 

xx

 

“Yang, Yang, Yang, do you know why Cinder wants to see us? Oh, do you think it’s to give us a new assignment?” Ruby bounced alongside Yang, her camera swinging dangerously close to her face each time. They made their way from their small shared office towards Cinder’s large office on the other side of the floor. 

 

Nora waved happily from the cubical she shared with Lie Ren, who was in the process of designing the new edition cover while his partner chatted happily with Ruby. Yang eventually had to pull Ruby away as Ren dragged Nora back to work. 

 

Coco nodded in greeting as she passed them with a stack of files and a cup of coffee, Velvet trailing after her. 

 

As they rounded the corner, Yang collided with somebody who let out a loud yelp. “Oh, hey Jaune!” Ruby greeted, smiling brightly at the blond. 

 

“Hey, Ruby,” Jaune managed along with a weak smile. “Yang.” His voice went colder. 

 

“Jaune. Good to see you.” Yang fought the urge to wince as Jaune’s gaze slipped down to the prosthetic, barely visible beneath her coat. 

 

“Uh, yeah, you haven’t really been around.” 

 

“Yep.” 

 

“Cool, so you’re back.” 

 

“So it would seem.” 

 

“Cool, well, I’ll let you guys go.” 

 

“Cool,” Yang echoed, watching Jaune retreat back into his now solo office. 

 

“That was awkward,” sang Ruby, looping an arm though Yang’s left. “I feel bad for Jaune.” 

 

“Yeah.” Yang echoed again, her eyes fixated on the dull grey carpet in front of them. Ruby bumped her shoulder gently, trying to elict a smile from her elder sister. 

 

They hesitated for a moment in front of Cinder’s office. Their boss was only a few years Yang’s senior and had joined the paper at the same time as Yang, but had been continuously promoted. To say the least, her practices were, at the best of times, questionable, at the worst of times, illegal. 

 

In their moment of hesitation, Cinder’s longtime assistant, Emerald stepped out and motioned for them to enter. Ruby smiled brightly while Yang managed something akin to a grimace. 

 

“Ah yes, thank you for joining us, Miss Xiao Long, Miss Rose,” Cinder greeted them from behind her desk, a predatory glint in her eyes. “That is all, Mercury.” 

 

The tall, silver haired man nodded curtly to his boss before passing by Yang. He flashed her a grin that made Yang want to punch him again. Only the feeling of Ruby’s fingers digging sharply into her arm managed to bring her back to reality. 

 

“What’s up, Cinder?” Ruby finally said as she glanced worriedly between her sister and their boss. “Do we have a new assignment?” 

 

Yang seemed to shake herself from her reverie and focused back on her boss. 

 

“Yes, I have something very interesting for you two.” Cinder’s voice always reminded Yang of the stories of mermaids and pirates she used to tell Ruby when they were kids. There was an allure in every word she spoke that if you weren’t careful might lead you to your death. Yang couldn’t stand her. “Have you heard of Blake Belladonna?” 

 

“Sure, her dad’s been the senator for Menagerie for years. She ran off a few years ago with the White Fang, with,” Yang paused, pushing the memories back down, “Adam Taurus. Why should we care about some socialite?” 

 

“She’s getting married.” Cinder’s eyes lit up with amusement and Yang had the distinct urge to punch that stupid grin off her face. “And I would like the paper to cover it.” 

 

“Since when do we care about weddings like this? She’s not even a celebrity. And why can’t Coco cover this? She’s the celebrity editor!”

 

Cinder narrowed her eyes and Yang suddenly felt like the mouse between the cat’s paws. “Because I told you too and if you’d like to keep your job, as well as your sister’s job, then I’d recommend doing as you’re told.” 

 

Yang held her gaze for a long moment, aware of Ruby’s fidgeting at her side, before she backed down. “Fine. How are we getting in to this wedding? If I recall correctly, the Belladonna’s are intensely private and rarely give out interviews.” 

 

Cinder waved to Emerald behind the two sisters. “Please bring in Miss Schnee.” 

 

“Schnee?” Yang echoed. “As in the-” 

 

“Schnee Dust Company, the largest producer of Dust in Remnant, currently the most profitable company according to Fortune Magazine and  _ my  _ father’s company.” Yang spun around at the sound of a new voice. She found herself practically nose to nose with a white haired woman around her age with blatant disregard in her cold eyes. “Weiss Schnee.” Weiss offered a hand delicately in front of her, as if there were a number of other things she’d rather be doing than touching Yang. 

 

Yang grabbed Weiss’s hand with her prosthetic and shook it quickly. She was impressed with the lack of reaction from the heiress.  Ruby eagerly shook Weiss’s hand, babbling about something in dust technology that Weiss merely nodded along to. 

 

“Now that you’ve all been,” a smile curved sinsisterly up Cinder’s lips, “introduced, we should return to our business. Weiss, given that she has already been invited to Blake Belladonna’s marriage to Sun Wukong, will be happy to provide you with an introduction to the wedding.” Cinder retrieved a folder from her drawer, handing it to Yang. “You’ll find enclosed your plane tickets and a hotel room for the pair of you. You best get moving, your flight leaves this evening.” 

 

“Perfect,” mumbled Yang, reading briefly through their iternerie. 

 

The sisters turned to leave, but Cinder called to them, “And please do make sure you bring some nicer clothes. I’d hate for anybody to think you were raggedy orphans.” Yang could feel Ruby flinch next to her, her head immediately dropping to her chest. 

 

Yang’s hands curled into fists. She was halfway turned when Ruby’s warm fingers caught her wrist and tugged her back. Yang gritted her teeth in frustration as she followed Ruby out. She hated watching her little sister seem small and wounded. And anytime her mother was even tangentially mentioned, Ruby would shut down. Yang wanted nothing more than to knock Cinder’s head through a wall. 

 

She inhaled sharply. Her therapist’s voice rang in her ears, some nonsense about violence and controlling her anger. 

 

“Yang,” Ruby began, her silver eyes alit with worry. “It’s fine. I swear. I’m sure she didn’t mean it.” 

 

Yang managed a half smile. “You’re so kind, Rubes. Never lose that, hm?” Yang ruffled Ruby’s hair playfully, drawing a laugh from her sister. Ruby shoved her away with a shriek. 

 

A loud throat clearing behind them caused the pair to pause, Ruby’s head locked in Yang’s elbow. “Are you two quite done yet?” Weiss Schnee tapped her foot in evident irritation. 

 

“Uh, yep.” Yang straightened up, tugging on the ends of her blazar after releasing Ruby. “Sorry ‘bout that.” 

 

Weiss rolled her eyes. “We should talk. Do you have an office here?” Weiss cast a glance around the floor, her nose wrinkling in obvious disgust. 

 

“Of course we do!” Ruby chimed in, bounding forward to grab Weiss’s arm. “It’s not so big, Yang used to have a larger one, but now we share this one. C’mon, I’ll show you.” 

 

Yang stiffled a chuckle as she watched her sister drag the ever so proper Weiss Schnee around the floor, finally skidding to a stop in front of their shared office. Yang trailed after them, her mind elsewhere. 

 

How could Raven have known so much? And moreover, why did she care?

 

“Yang! C’mon!” Ruby called from inside the office, breaking Yang from her thoughts about Raven. 

 

“I’m coming, Rubes!” Yang called as she entered the cramped office. The room was dominated by the two desks they had managed to cram in their along with a massive filing cabinet. Pictures covered every surface not obscured with paper. 

 

Weiss was in the far corner examining something on Yang’s wall. 

 

She turned as Yang entered, her brow furrowed. “Was this-” 

 

Yang slid across her desk and snatched the paper out of Weiss’s hand. “Just, you know, uh, don’t touch my stuff.” Yang barely even glanced at the article Weiss had picked up, shoving it into a random folder on her desk. 

 

“Fine.” 

 

Ruby, seemingly unaware of the tension in the room, chatted on. “So, Weiss, what can you tell us about Menagerie? What’s Blake next? Does she live on a beach? Who’s she marrying? Is he handsome?” Ruby pushed Weiss into a chair, shoving a pack of cookies into her lap. Weiss picked at the label with a perfectly manicured set of nails. 

 

“Rubes, give the woman a moment to breathe,” Yang chuckled as she settled down at her desk, pulling out a notebook. 

 

“Thank you.” Weiss’s tone could only be described as clipped. “Look, I’m only here because your boss has incriminating evidence against my father, and we cannot afford a media scandal right now. And for some reason, she would like to get the inside scoop on the Belladonna wedding.” At this, Weiss’s eyes narrowed at Yang who had started to take notes. “Now, you listen to me, Miss, Blake Belladonna is one of my best friends in the world and I will not tolerate your nosing around upsetting her! I will make the call on what you can and can not do. You will not invade her privacy, you will not ask her deep personal questions that will make her uncomfortable. Do you understand me?” 

 

Yang glanced to her sister who was staring at Weiss with wide eyes. 

 

“You do understand that we’re reporters, Miss Schnee.” 

 

“And you understand that you’re only going to be able to cover this story because of me?” 

 

Ruby cut in, “Miss Schnee, I’m sure my sister is just trying to understand what you require of us. Really, we are on your side, and we will be respectful of Miss Belladonna.” 

 

“My plane will be leaving at 4 this afternoon. I expect you two to be on it thirty minutes before. We need to create a cover story for you two being there. How old are you?” Weiss asked, pointing at Ruby. 

 

“20!” 

 

“What? How?”

 

“Because I was born 20 years ago?” 

 

“That is, ugh, whatever.” 

 

“Ruby skipped a few years ahead in school,” Yang offered in explanation before Ruby could further aggravate the heiress. 

 

“Hmm,” Weiss hummed. 

 

Yang smirked a bit as she watched Weiss appraise her sister. Everybody underestimated Ruby, but nobody could take a photo like Ruby. Ruby might be young, and yet, here she was sitting along with the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. 

 

“So what’s our angle? What’s our spin?” Yang asked, spinning her pen deftly between her fingers. “Obviously, we shouldn’t say we’re reporters.” 

 

“I think that would be best. I have a plus one to the wedding, so I can bring at least one of you. Miss Xiao Long, I think we would be best suited.” 

 

“Aw, Weissy, that’s so nice of you to think of me. You like me, you really like me!” Yang clutched a hand to her chest dramatically. 

 

“You may call me Miss Schnee.” 

 

Yang arched an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well,  _ Miss Schnee _ , I somehow doubt your friend will believe that I’m a plus one if I call you  _ Miss Schnee _ .” 

 

“Fine,” huffed out Weiss, “call me Weiss.” 

 

“And you can call me Yang.” 

 

“And I’m Ruby!” 

 

“Glad we’re all acquainted. You two better go pack. I’ll send a car for you. Give me your phone.” 

 

xx

 

**_Criminal Adam Taurus to Stand Trial for Murder_ **

 

_ Adam Taurus is to stand trial at the end of the month in the Remnant High Court for a litany of crimes. Chief among them is the murder of journalist Pyrrha Nikos. The exact details of Ms. Nikos’ death remain unknown to the public.  _

 

_ Taurus is also to stand trial for gang activity in association to his leadership of the White Fang. Amongst these charges are also weapons possession, assault, and treason.  _

 

_ Senator Ghira Belladonna, who is most known for his long term as leader of Menagerie and his past involvement in the White Fang, has pushed for the harshest punishment for Mr. Taurus. Senator Belladonna was involved in the White Fang during his university days when the organization stood for peaceful protest of the treatment of faunus.  _

 

_ Senator Belladonna has said of Mr. Taurus: “Adam Taurus and the people he represent do not work for the best of the faunus population. Taurus seeks to control his fellow faunus and humans through fear. I will not stand for his fear mongering and terrorism.”  _

 

_ Taurus was arrested near the beginning of the year by a joint task force led by Special Agent Qrow Branwen. The case was particularly personal for Agent Branwen considering the kidnapping,  _ **_continued on page 6._ **

 

xx

 

“Blake, dear, Blake, where are you? We need to finish the registry and the table arrangement!” 

 

Blake curled further in on herself in the tree. Her book dug into one of her knees, but she was sure that her mother couldn’t see her. 

 

“Blake! Where is that girl?” Blake watched through the leaves as her mother finally gave up and went back in the house. 

 

Blake breathed a sigh of relief and went back to her reading. She had thumbed through another chapter when a blonde head popped between her and her reading. 

 

Blake let out a long string of curse words as she scrambled to hold on to something. She barely managed to clutch the tree limb she was sitting on, but dropped her book to the ground. 

 

“Sun!” 

 

“Hey there, how’s it, hanging?” Sun exaggerated a wink, his hair swaying with the wind. He pulled himself back up to the branch above Blake. “Get it? Cause I was just  _ hanging  _ out.” 

 

“What is wrong with you?” Blake yelped, hitting Sun’s leg with her free hand. 

 

Sun clutched a hand to his chest. “I just wanted to see my lovely, darling bride to be!”

 

Blake huffed off a breath of irritation before a smile involuntarily came to her lips. “You’re such a loser, Sun Wukong.” 

 

“You wound me, Belladonna, right to my core.” 

 

Blake rolled her eyes again. 

 

“Actually, I’m here because somebody’s just arrived and your dad says you should come see them.”

 

Blake narrowed her eyes at Sun. “You’re so still afraid of my dad. One of these days he’s gonna finally fight you or something and fulfill all of your fears,” deadpanned Blake before jumping down from her formerly peaceful refuge. 

 

Blake smiled to herself as she listened to Sun’s increasingly stressed out calls after her as he scrambled out of the tree. She made her way back into her parent’s house, dodging the various people rushing around in preparation for her wedding in a week’s time. 

 

“Ah, Blake! There you are!” Her father’s voice boomed out across the entry. He gestured for her to join him. “Look who’s just arrived!” He stepped to the side to reveal three women, two Blake didn’t know and one she knew very well. 

 

“Weiss!” 

 

“Blake!” The two women rushed to each other and rocked back and forth in a tight hug. 

 

When they finally pulled apart, Weiss motioned to her two companions. 

 

“Blake, I’d like you to meet Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long. Yang is my plus one and Ruby is her younger sister.” Blake’s nose wrinkled slightly as she noticed Weiss’s seeming reluctance to introduce her companions. 

 

Blake shifted her attention to the two sisters. Ruby seemed to be barely out of high school and Yang looked blatantly uncomfortable. 

 

Yang finally stepped forward and offered a metal hand to Blake. Blake took it without hesitation, her amber eyes meeting Yang’s lilac eyes. They were strangely alluring, as if she was hiding something, or trying to protect something. 

 

“Lovely to meet you, Blake. I’ve heard so much about you from Weiss.” 

 

“My pleasure, I’m sure.” 

**Author's Note:**

> ahhhh i hope you all enjoyed. the philadelphia stroy is one of my all time faves!! so i'm pumped to be writing this!! 
> 
> my plan is to update every wednesday - i'm thinking this will be about 5 chapters give or take! 
> 
> the next chapter will feature ilia's appearance, an awkward family dinner, a confrontation with Ghira and more shenanigans between our favorite girls! 
> 
> much love, b


End file.
